Ticket/entry details:Please book in advance for catering purposes by sending an email to ResearchForumEvents@courtauld.ac.uk. Payment will be £5 (general public and students) in cash on arrival at registration on Tuesday, 17 May 2011.

Organised by: Michael Carter and Jessica Berenbeim (The Courtauld Institute of Art) with the generous support of Celia Jennings, Woodcarving, Early Objects and Books (www.early-carving.com)

In contrast to the arts of the so-called ‘golden age’ of English religious life during the High Middle Ages, the visual culture of subsequent generations of monks, friars, nuns, and canons has traditionally received less attention. However, more recent scholarship has challenged the consensus of a late-medieval decline among the monastic and religious orders in England and elsewhere in Europe, revealing an artistic tradition with considerable possibilities for investigation. At this conference, established scholars and research students from the UK and abroad will explore some of these possibilities, including the importance of continuity and innovation, the patronage of superiors, and the expression of particular institutional and confessional identities. Many of the papers will also discuss little-known examples or provide new interpretations of late monastic art.